Guthalungra Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 19°55′30″S 147°50′35″E / 19.925°S 147.8430°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 112 ( 2016 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.1211/km2 (0.3138/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4805 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 924.5 km2 (357.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST ( UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | Whitsunday Region | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Burdekin | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Dawson | ||||||||||||||
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Guthalungra is a rural town and coastal locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] In the 2016 census, the locality of Guthalungra had a population of 112 people. [1]
The northern boundary of the locality is the Coral Sea including the large headland of Cape Upstart ( 19°42′22″S 147°45′10″E / 19.7062°S 147.7527°E) rising to 680 metres. [4] The northern half of Cape Upstart is protected as the Cape Upstart National Park. Cape Upstart was named by Lieutenant James Cook on 5 June 1770 during his voyage along the eastern coast of Australia in the HM Bark Endeavour. [5]
Being a coastal locality, much of the land is low-lying but there are a number of peaks, including (from north to south): [6]
The Bruce Highway traverses the locality from east to west passing through the town. The North Coast railway line runs almost immediately parallel with the highway with a number of rail stops within the locality (from north to south): [6]
The Elliot River flows from south to north through the locality and the town into the Coral Sea ( 19°53′00″S 147°53′00″E / 19.8833°S 147.8833°E) to the west of Cape Upstart. [6] The river was named by explorer George Elphinstone Dalrymple after Gilbert Eliott, the first Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1860 to 1870. [19]
The town was named in 1889, using the name of a significant local Aboriginal Australian. [2]
Guthalungra Provisional School opened in 1948, becoming Guthalungra State School on 27 February 1957. The school closed in 1988. [20] It was located on the north side of the Bruce Highway ( 19°50′00″S 147°42′00″E / 19.8333°S 147.7000°E). [21] [6]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Guthalungra had a population of 112 people. [1]
Guthalungra is predominantly an agricultural area, mostly grazing with some crop production. [22] Pacific Reef Fisheries operate the Guthalungra Prawn Farm near the mouth of the Elliot River. The company uses the farm as a hatchery for black tiger prawns ( Penaeus monodon) and a place to conduct their breeding program. The prawns are then raised for harvest and processing at the company's 93 hectare facility at Ayr. [23]